cherry pink skies
by silvermonkey
Summary: Winter means snow but for Umino Iruka it means something else all together, memories he'd thought he'd long forgotten. perhaps with a little help from a new friends Iruka can put old one's to rest.


_I had snow a couple of days ago where I live and the sunset was very much like the one I've tried to describe in my story, in fact it was the sunset and snow that inspired this fic._

_Please in enjoy the angst and slush_

_Ps_._ Beware this story has not been looked over by a beta,read at you own risk _:)

_**silvermonkey**_

* * *

Cherry pink skies

Dusk painted deep pink fingers across the clear indigo sky and shimmered upon the thick coat of snow that covered the ground. From his desk Umino Iruka watched the sky darken. He had just finished grading the last of his classes reports and was about to pack up and go home. The sky looked so beautiful, so peaceful. You'd have never known that it was the bane of one of the quite sensei's worst nightmares.

Sighing heavily Iruka stuffed the reports into his bag and made his way out of the school. It had began to clouded over, the sunset barely a pinky orange glow on the horizon. Soft cold flakes tumbled from the sky and danced in the lamp light.

Iruka slowly made his way back to his empty apartment. It was at times like this he really missed Naruto and his infectious cheer. Without thinking he took a detour.

The memorial stone stood tall and solemn a dusting of silver flakes upon its shoulders. Iruka knelt down and traced the outline of long forgotten names. His parents, his sensei, his team mates Chika and Koichi.

He felt a lone tear track its way down his cheek but he didn't brush it away, after all he'd always been emotional. He stood up and trudged back up the path to the street and homewards. The snow was falling thicker now and Iruka shivered. It was just like that time. The mission that had killed his team and left him for dead.

Closing his eyes he forced the memory deep into his subconscious. He hurried home, the cheerful bright lights doing nothing to improve his mood. He fumbled with the key and staggered inside slamming the door shut and sliding down to the floor.

The memory was back, stronger. He could smell the fresh snow, the cool night air. He could hear Chika and Koichi squabbling and Mamoru Sensei's loud groan of protest. He squeezed his eyes shut and attempted once more to block it out.

A soft knock on the door dragged him back to reality. Tiredly he climbed to his feet, deposited his bag and scarf on the coffee table before going to answer it. He glowered slightly, he really should have know better.

Hatake Kakashi infamous pervert and personal stalker. "I Passed you in the street," he stated calmly, "You looked awful."

Iruka laughed ruefully, "I suppose I do."

The copy ninja nodded, "Are you busy?"

Iruka shrugged and stepped away from the door back into the lukewarm warmth of his apartment.

"Don't you use the heating?" Kakashi grumbled.

Iruka absent- mindedly turned the heating up as he passed the dial on the way to the kitchen, "Tea?" he offered.

"With extra milk," the copy ninja replied, "You always make it too strong."

Iruka sent him a dark look and busied himself with the teapot. He started. The tea looked like blood. He could hear Chika's scream as she was torn apart, see her empty eyes rolling in their sockets. He hadn't realised he'd dropped the teapot until Kakashi was at his side prizing his white fingers from what was left on the handle.

The school teacher took one look at the shattered pottery and spilt tea and bolted reaching the bathroom just in time to throw-up what was left of his lunch. Then Kakashi was there rubbing soothing circles on his back and muttering soft words of comfort.

It was almost a surprise. If somebody had told Umino Iruka that Hatake Kakashi would be the one shielding him from his nightmares a few months ago he would have laughed in their face. But then he hadn't know the copy ninja then, not the way he did now.

Kakashi helped him back to the living room and set him on the old battered sofa, "What to tell me about it?"

Iruka looked away. No he really didn't. But then again, who would it hurt? "It's the snow," he began brokenly...

* * *

"Chika's in lo-ove! Chika's in lo-ove!" Koichi crowed as he darted away from the irate purple haired girl's taloned hands.

"Shut up you loser! Just because you can't get a date!" Chika howled back.

Umino Iruka observed his bickering team mates from a safe distance as he bounced along behind his sensei. It was a simply D-rank mission. Scouting actually but Iruka didn't mind this time. It had snowed heavily the previous night and the whole countryside was covered in sugary whiteness. The sky was still a soft pearl grey and pregnant with more snow yet to fall.

Chika had decked Koichi and was now shoving his face into the cold snow and just for good measure she stuffed some down his back. The white haired boy scrambled away hopping up and down comically in an attempt to remove the fast melting snow.

Iruka couldn't help but laugh at his poor team-mates predicament, after all he wasn't so stupid as to incur Chika's wrath. The purple haired konoichi glowered at him and stomped on ahead. Koichi fell back to walk in step with Iruka.

"She's mental," he hissed.

"I can still hear you," Chika shouted over her shoulder without looking round.

"How does she do that?" Koichi whispered, "Scary woman no jutsu."

Iruka snickered, "Its like she has eyes in the back of her head," he agreed.

Koichi nodded vigorously, "Not human."

"Don't be stupid," Mamoru Sensei grumbled tugging his scarf higher up his face, "Lets just get this done so we can go home."

"He wants to get back to Hiromi," Koichi stated wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.

Mamoru Sensei smacked the genin round the head, "That's not it you pervert."

Iruka sniggered, "Its because she pregnant."

Koichi glanced back at their sensei and grinned, "Have you been busy making little baby sensei's?" he teased dodging the affectionate swat.

"Will you two behave?" Mamoru Sensei sighed exasperatedly, "I do not want my private life broadcast for all to hear!"

The two boys cackled manically and dodging their sensei sped past both him and Chika but not before the purple haired girl stuck out her foot sending them both sprawling in the deep snow. The sat up still laughing and Mamoru put his head in his hands.

Chika put a sympathetic hand on his shoulder, "Best give up now," she advised, "They are never going to learn."

"We're doomed. Utterly and completely doomed," the poor jonin instructor groaned.

The team finished scouting their assigned sector when the snow started again and the wind picked up making it impossible for them to make it back to Konoha. They took shelter in a small cave and huddled miserably around a tiny sputtering fire.

Koichi had first watch followed by Iruka. But it was cold, bitterly cold and the thirteen year old felt himself dropping off. Too late did they discover the insurgents they had been sent to scout for.

Iruka woke just in time to see ten dark shadows creeping into their hideout. With a shout he lurched to his feet tearing after them.

Thankfully his cry woke his team mates. They fumbled for their weapons but they were too late. The party of six jonin and four chunin were already upon them and in the tight confides of the cave it was a slaughter. Iruka could only watch, paralysed in the dark Koichi's signature jutsu.

He saw Chika fall, her eyes open and empty rolling in their sockets. Her purple hair spread out around her like a halo. Mamoru Sensei was next, in his attempt to give Koichi the chance to escape the death trap their shelter had become, he was cut down from breast bone to belly. Koichi was last, he hit the ground his eyes fixed on the spot where Iruka stood. The instant he slipped away Iruka was free.

He launched himself from his hiding spot with a loud war cry. The jonin were too strong. Even though he ducked and parried. Struck, slashed and blew one or two of them to bits they still over powered him.

Iruka lay in the stained snow blood pouring from his shoulder, side and forehead. His left leg was twisted at an unnatural angle and his right shoulder was dislocated. Still he lay gasping for breath as his attackers walked away.

More snow fell. The temperature dropped even lower.

It was late afternoon the next day when he was discovered. Mizuki's team had been sent out to look for Iruka's when they had failed to return. They took Iruka back to Konoha while their sensei disposed of the remains of the injured genin's team.

Iruka's injuries healed slowly and for a few weeks he remained utterly silent. Eventually he was given a new team, a new sensei. Iruka started talking again, then joking. He wasn't all right inside but he put on a mask for the rest of the world.

It was Hiromi who put him back on his path. He found her one day at the foot of the memorial stone, one hand over her swollen belly. She gave him a sorrowful look, but one of understanding, after all her husband's name was on that stone and now her unborn child was fatherless.

"You shouldn't fake," she told him, "It dishonours their memory."

Iruka gapped, "But...but?" he stammered.

Hiromi put a hand on his shoulder, "They would want you to move on and live in their stead. To respect their sacrifice not mock it."

Iruka hung his head, ashamed, "It was my fault," he sated softly, "If I hadn't fallen asleep on watch they might still be here."

"Don't be ridicules," Hiromi scolded, "Your only little, and anyone could have fallen asleep in those conditions."

Iruka looked away, "I should have been more careful."

Hiromi sighed, "Iruka, who knows what would have happened if you hadn't fallen asleep. Maybe your team would have lived but maybe they wouldn't. The point is what's done is done. You can't turn back time."

"I wish I could," Iruka stated bitterly, "I would turn back the clock and they wouldn't die."

Hiromi's hand dropped to her side and she turned away, "Don't let yourself be consumed with anger and guilt. Get stronger and next time, you be the protector."

Iruka watched her go and beneath the orange streaked sky he gathered his strength and rekindled his fire.

* * *

"But even after that I couldn't forget," Iruka finished, "Their deaths, my failure still haunts me. Every time I see the snow it comes back and I'm paralysed."

Kakashi was silent for a long time and Iruka almost thought that the jounin and fallen asleep. A solitary pale blue eye rolled up to fix on the plain ceiling, "You know, I felt exactly the same after Obito died." he turend to favour Iruka with his smiley eye but You can't dwell on these things can we sensei? They eat you up and spit you out again."

Iruka looked away, "I know," he murmured.

Kakashi stood up abruptly, "Grab your scarf and come with me."

Iruka gapped, "What?"

"Come on," the copy ninja commanded.

Automatically Iruka found himself following Hatake from his apartment. Kakashi lead the way down the twinkling streets, past the laughter of many children playing in the freshly fallen snow and on to the civilian sector.

He stopped just short of a small house with a box garden. From the lit up window Iruka could see a middle aged woman cooking while a young teen sat with his arm round a girl laughing and conversing animatedly.

Iruka gapped, "Hiromi," he breathed.

"See," Kakashi stated, "She picked herself up and got on with her life. Sure from time to time she'll think about her husband but it doesn't hurt as much as it used to." he gave the stunned school teacher a hard look, " Isn't it time you did the same."

Iruka nodded blinking away tears, "I never though you'd be one for comforting and inspiring speeches." he smiled weakly.

Kakashi laughed, "Genious, remember," the copy ninja turned away, "Why don't we get something to eat hmm?"

Iruka nodded, "I don't know about you, but I feel like raumen."

Kakashi laughed again, "Now I know where Naruto gets the obsession from."


End file.
